Friday, July 1, 2016

Milennials and the future

This weeks topic addresses an age-old issue - the future. Every generation reaches an age when the baton must be passed - it is the natural order. Even for we Baby Boomers - time marches on. Soon the mantle will pass.

So what does the future hold? That will be up to the Millennials. The generation raised on social media, video games, and the like. The so-called me generation, perhaps the least civic-minded generation ever. As Globalization grabs a firmer grip on society, are these the people who can steer the ship? What will happen when 21st Century society collides with laws and regulations from the distant and not so distant past?Have we just witnessed the first collision of those sensibilities with the recent BREXIT referendum? BREXIT passed largely on the strength of older voters - the younger generations were largely against leaving the EU. Was this the last gasp of the older generation that was there during WWII and simply refused to stand for the loss of sovereignty EU membership entailed?Change is inevitable. Too much change in to short a period of time can be devastating. There was a great book I read in college by the recently decease author Alvin Toffler that addressed just that - the impact of rapid change on society.

Per Wikipedia, Toffler argued that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial society to a super-industrial society. This change overwhelms people. He believed the accelerated rate of
technological and social change left people disconnected and suffering
from "shattering stress and disorientation"—future shocked. Toffler
stated that the majority of social problems are symptoms of future
shock.

Millennials are the best prepared generation to deal with the rapidly changing world economy. But as the so-called me-generation are they civic-minded enough to do what is best for everybody? Are they correct when some Millennials suggest Baby Boomers benefited from decades of prosperity before wrecking
the global economy? Was our legacy to the young a world of inequality,
unemployment and housing shortages? Is the BREXIT referendum the latest act of foolishness by aging boomers? Did
the older generation vote to strip the young of a cherished
European identity because they feared globalization?

I suspect it is all partly true but I think the Millennials will sort it out. They are certainly better qualified to do so then we old folks. It is time we enjoy our retirement and let the kids take the wheel.

I agree, Chuck! Hindsight is 20-20; I see from past mistakes what I could have done better; I admire my sons for having more foresight than I and to prosper in fields much more productive (IT). But, I can give myself credit as I enabled them on that path, buying a Commodore 64 when my oldest son was age 4 and helping him learn, 'catching the bug' for computers at an early age. He was programming in Cobol, Fortran, C++ and Turbo Pascal by age of 7 and aiding businesses with security programs he wrote for them at age 10, making $75/hr and filing tax returns at age 10 under his DBA "So Simple Software". Went past me like a shot in 1st grade and on.They are now 41 and 36, both in IT and very successful, with pre-teen kids of their own; our grandkids who own iPhones and know how to work them, too, idly chatting on the merits of iOS 9xx like it's elementary math.There will always be the good, the mundane and the bad; my hope is that the good far advances the other two.

I am a huge repeater of quotes. Greater minds than me have concocted quotes that keeps us on course and headed into the wind to follow the correct course. highly recommend Googling or Yahooing Quotes to find little nuggets of pure gold to help guide you in life.